Photographic-printing mask.



T. H; mustv. 'PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINHNG MASK,

APPLICATION FILED APR. (3, I915.

Patented Apr. 25,1916.

H. LINDSEY. PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MASK. APPL|CATION FILED APR. 13.1915.

3 SHEETS8HEET 2:

T. H. LINDSEY. PHGIOGRAEHIC RRQNT ING MASK. ABPPLICATEOR FILED APR. I3,i915.v

111,513. Patented Apr. 25,1916.

"3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

7 l I I I l l I g; 15 Q J1 4 J 1 I L/ \W I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS LINDSEY, OF ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOIt OF ONE-HALF TO IJAMES K. COWAN, 0F ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

PHOTOGBAPHIC-PRINTING MASK.

Specification of ietters Patent.

Patented Anr.2'5. 1916.

Application filed Am-i113, 1915. Serial N 0. 21,072.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, THOMAS H.. LINDSEY,citizen of the United States, residing at Asheville, in the county ofBuncombe and State of North Carolina, have inventedcer' tam new anduseful Improvements improve structures of this particular type and toembody. in a single-organization or machine, means for measuring orgaging the size of the photograph prior to the printing thereof; meansto positively hold the film or negative and the sensitized paperuniformlyin engagement with the exposure glass; means to lock thevarious adjustable parts in adjusted position; means to make and breakthe electrical circuit necessary to the production of the'mentionedartificial light through manipulation of the pressureback handle; andmeans to releasably hold the film against. its natural tendency to curlwhile in the act of printing.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as areillustrated in their preferred-embodiment in the accompanying drawings,described in the following specification and then more particularlypointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part ofthis application.

In describing my invention in detail .reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1is a perspective view of my improved photographic printing mask ormachine; Fig. 2 is a plan vie Fig.3 isa cross sectional view, thepressure back being shown in a raised position: Fig. 4 is an enlargedsection taken transversely to that of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an elevation ofthe circuit control means: Fig. 3 illustrates the parts shown in Fig. incross section; and Fig. 7 isa section of the mentioned parts taken at aright a ale to that of Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawings by m:- merals, 1 designates a suitableframe, pref erably rectangular, provided with a correspondingly shapedopening 2 within which the exposure glass 3 is rran'ged, the top face ofthe glass being flushwith the top face of the frame.

A guide strip 4: isafiixed to the frame 1 ad acent one of its endswhereby to extend in parallelism therewith, said strip, in conunctlonwith a retaining strip 5 and a guide pin 6 affording a means whereby thecarrier is held against displacement and for sliding movement upon thetop face of the frame. The strip 5 is aflixed to'the guide strip 4 andpositioned or arranged to overlap the carrier 7. Pin 6 is ailixed to theframe and positioned to operate in a longitudinal slot 8 therefor formedin the carrier in adjacent proximity to the 'opposite longitudinal edgethereof from that engaged with the guide strip 4. The engagement betweenthe slot terminals and the pin 6 will limit sliding movement of thecarrier.

That the carrier 7 may be locked against movement subsequent toadjustment I pro-' vide a guide screw 9, the said screw being aflixed tothe frame and, like the pin 6, positioned to operate in aslot 10therefor ment. Slots 8 and 10 are preferablyalined as shown to advantagein Fig. 2.

An L-shaped or right-angled arm 12 is hingedly connected as at 13 to thecarrier 7, one end of the angle arm being flush with 'formed in thecarrier, the slot 10 likewise one end of the carrier, the opposite endhowever being situated at a point preferably equi-distant from thecarrier ends, such arrangement positioning that portion of the armextending at a right angle to the carrier in such relationto theexposure glass 3 and the top face of the framel as to be moved laterallyor transversely thereof through adjustment of the carrier 7. Said arm 12is normally held in yielding engagement with the mentioned glass andframe through the medium of a leaf spring 14 affixed to the carrier andtensioned to abut the arm at a point adjacent the free end.

To raise the arm out of engagement with afford a marginal space upon thephoto-- the glass and frame and against tension of its associatedspring, I provide a knob 15, said knob, as shown, being located in suchrelation to the spring as to in no way interfere therewith. Marginalstrips 16 and 17 are fastened in any suitable manner to the under sideof the arm 12, the strip 16 extending parallel with the carrier and thestrip17 at a right angle thereto, each stripv slightly overlapping theedge of the arm to graph or print as will hereinafter more I fullyappear.

What will be hereinafter referred to as a pressure-back is hingedlyfastened asin- --dicated at 18 to move bodily with the carrier 7; Thepressure-back in its preferred embodiment comprises hingedly connectedsections 19 and 20, the former having con nection with the carrier asindicated at 13 and spaced therefrom, as shown, to overparatively largeand is hingedly connected .25

ythe saidhandle and the pressure-back to lap that portion of the arm 12supporting the'marginal strip 16. Section 20 is comas at21 to thesmaller section 19. Marginal strips 16 and 1-7 not only provide for theformation of a marginal space upon the photograph as pointed out above,but, upon elevation of the arm, 12, serve as a means whereby thepressure-back as an entirety is raised or elevated therewith. It will beobserved that the pressure back when lowered or horizontally flattened,directly engages with the, mentioned strips.

A handle 22 for the pressure-back is hing'edly connected as at 23 to asuitable block 24 in turn affixed to the carrier 7. Said handle 22carries, in proximity to the hinge point 23, an abutment block 25, saidabutment cooperating with a push button 26 depressible to control theelectrical circuits involved. A coil spring 27 is arranged beneatli thehandle 22 and affixed to the block 24, the terminals of the said springbeing adapted to engage the under side of the mentioned handle to at alltimes exert an upward pressurethereon whereby to maintain -which .it'isconnected in an elevated or raised position. -The mentioned connectionis obtained through the medium ofa spring 28 afiixed at one end to thehandle and at its opposite end to the section 20 of the pressure-back.Handle 22 is further equipped with arcuate leaf springs 29, the

' terminals of which are adapted to positively engage the top face ofthepressureback to in this manner exert a uniform pressure thereon inthe act of printing when handle 22 is lowered. A stop device 30 isfastened to the handle, the said stop being engageablmwith the top faceof th' pressure back'to increase the pressure t ereon and'to limitmovement of the handle.

To receive the wear and tear incident to one of the margins thereof.

eluding displacement of the strip long and continued use of the printingmask I provide a metallic strip 31which, as shown to advantage in Figs.2 and 3, is fastened to thepressure back in such relation to the stopdevice 30 and the springs 29 as to con tact therewith whenthe handle islowered. Slots 32 are formed in the strip 31, within which slots pins orscrews 33 operate, the

latter being affixed to the smaller section 19 of'the pressure-backwhereby to hold the strip against displacement yet permit of slightrelative movement occasioned by reason of the hinged connection shown at21.

Strip31 is of an inherent resilient nature and tensioned to normallymaintain section 20- of the pressure-back at an acute angle to thesection 19, such structure or arrangement Bidesignates a thin metallicstrip in the nature of a straight edge positioned at one sidevof theopening 2 and in parallellsm with secured to the frame by any suitablemeans. An adjustable metallic strip 35 is secured to the top of theframe, said last mentioned strip being likewise in' the nature of astraight edge and movable bodily longi-' 'tudinally of the strip 3 Eachstrip is provided with marginal graduation marks as indicated in Fig. 1.The strip 35 is enlarged at one end as indicated at 36 and provided atits enlarged end with a longitudinal slot 37, said slot with a secondslot- 38 extending parallel therewith aifor ing a guide means wherebythe strip is held in place.- The\free end of the strip is arranged tounderlap andoperate beneath the strip 34. Slot 38 is formed in areinforcing strip 89 aiiixed to the strip 35 at its enlarged end, thereinforcing strip in turn supporting a knob 40 manipulatable to adjustthe strip 35 longitudinally of the frame or toward and from the carrier7. .A guide pin 41 is afiixed to the frame and operates within the slot37 while a guide screw 42 is affixed to the frame and operates Rvithinthe slot 38, the mentioned pin and screw together pre- A thumb screw 43is mounted on the screw 42, said thumb screw being manipulatable inamanner common to the art whereby to releasably fasten the strip 35against move ment when adjusted. At each side of the Said strip is frame1 I dispose a retaining elementpthe element 44 at one side being fastend,a't its oppositeends to the frame whi the element 44' at the oppositeside isrfastened to the frame only at one end." Each element is Spacedfrom the frame and is utilizable as will. hereinafter appear.

The machine ormask here described and as suggested above is particularlyuseful where artificial light-is utilized as the illuminant. As a meanswherebythe various lights (not shown) may be switched on or off asoccasion demands,'I provide an automatic' circuit controller designatedas an entirety by the numeral 45. The said controller in its preferredembodimeiit includes in addition to the abutment block 25 and thepush-button 26 before described, a movable contact device or member v46,said member.

having connection, by means of a stem 47 with the button 26. The button26 and the stem 47 operate in a suitable casing 48 therefor, thelatter'being afiixed in any suitable manner within an opening 49 formedin the block 24. A spring 50 is located interiorly of thejcasin'g 48 toabut at one end the button 26 and at its opposite end the closed end ofthe casing, said spring normally main taining the contact member 46 inengagement with a resilient contact member 51, thelatter being arrangedexteriorly of the block 24 and affixed to the terminal 52 in turn in--sulated from the block 24. The engagement of the movable contact 46 withthe contact 51 also maintains the latter in engagement with the terminal53, the double engagement of th said member with the terminals- 52 and53 closing a suitable electrical circuit whereby a colored light isobtained. During the process of printing, the handle 22 is depressed tomove abutment25 into engagement with the button 26, such engagementcausing the spring 50 to be compressed and the member 46 'moved out ofblock to which it is secured.

engagement with the contact 51. The lat-' ter being constructed of aninherently r esilient material, it is evident that ,the said.

contact will move out of engagement with theterminal 53, the contact '46at the same time engaging the terminal 52 and a terminal 54 opposedthereto, the' mentioned engagement of the contact 46 with terminals 52and 54 closing asecond circuit whereby to produce a white light ofsufficient brilliancy to answer the demand made. thereon. The terminal54 is also insulated from the- In operation, the film or negative andsensitized paper are adapted to be arranged in superimposed relationacross the exposure opening 2 and upon the top face of the glass, thefilm or negative, if in the form of a roll, being first arranged tounderlap the elements 44, said elements preventing the natural tendencyof the film to curl-up or roll. Next, strip 35 is adjusted relatively tothe strip 34, such adjustment determining the length of the photographto be printed. In F1g. 1 the strip is set to printa photo graph fourinches in length, Next, arm 12 is laterally adjusted relatively to thestrip 35, such ad ustment determining the width of the photograph and,as indicated in the,

said Fig. 1, set to produce a picture four inches in width. The film ornegative and the sensitized paper are heldin place by the arm 12 and bythe tensionof the associated spring 14. While the negative is beingarranged in the manner described, circuit closing device 45 willoperateautomatically, through the-agency of the spring 50, to close the coloredlight circuit thereby producing a colored light. After the various:

adjustable parts have been set as previously mentioned and fastenedagainst. displacement, pressure-back 19-20 .is lowered. or forced intoengagement with the paper and film to press the latter firmly anduniformly against the exposure glass. The moment the pressure-back isforced-into a final position (horizontal) block 25 willhave engaged fthe button in such amanner as to break the colored light circuit andclose the white light circuitthereby creating a clear illuminantnecessary to a printing operation. Handle 22 is then maintained in itslowered position until alphotograph shall have beencompletely printed.Spring 27 will elevate the handle immediately upon its release. It

is necessary to' raise or elevate the arm 12 through manipulation ofknob 15 to remove the film after a printhas been taken therefrom. Theprint itself is positionedto engage the top surface of the strips 16 and17.

From the foregoing,'taken-in 'connection with the accompanying drawingsit is ap parent that photographs varying in size may be printed throughadjustment of the arm'12 and the strip 35; that the strips16 and 17 willproduce a marginal white space upon the completed photograph: and thatthe operation Ofthe-ci-rcuit closing device is absqlutely'automatic andsuch in its nature as to shift the light at the proper moment, it beingunderstoodthat the light utilized in printing is to be arranged upon theopposite side of the frame from that upon which the mechanism compr singmy invention 15 arranged.

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of my invention.illustrated i a retalnlng arm for the negative acted on wlth the frame.

5 rificing any of the advantages of my invention, as defined in theappended claims.

Having. thus-fully. described my inven- I -tion,-what Iclaim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is v ,1. In a photographic printingmachine, a

"frame-having an exposure opening formed therein, a carrier slidabletransversely of the frame, means affixed to the carrier and 10:. -thereof, means movable toward and from movable across the opening to varythe size flt'he carrier tovary the size of the opening,

dle for the pressure-back movable independently thereof.'

- tions, means adjustable toward and from a pressure-back movable withthe carrier and into and out of engagement with the frame for thepurpose specified, and a han- 2. In a photographic printing machine, aframe having an exposure opening formed 'therein,a carrier mounted forsliding move- 7 ment upon the frame, guide means for the .carrieraffixed tothe frame, a pressure-back hingedly connected to the carrierand movablev into and out of engagement with the frame directly overthementioned opening,

hingedly connected to the carrier and movable transversely of theframeto vary the size of the opening-therein, means adjustable-towardand from the carrier. to vary' the size of the said opening, and ahandle hingedly connected to the carrier and having a yieldingconnection with the pressureback, the handle being operable to move saidpressure-back into and out of engagement .3. In a photographic printingmachine, a frame having an exposure opening formed therein, a carrierslidable across the frame,

means to limit sliding movement of the carrier, guide means for thecarrier, a block aflixed to the carrier, an arm having a hingeconnection with the carrier, the arm being movable therewith and acrossthe'ope'ning to vary the size thereof, said arm affording afilmretaining means, a pressure-back hingedly connected to the carrier,the said back comprising a pair of hingedly connected secthe carriertovary the size of the mentioned opening, anoperating handle h1ngedlyconnected to the block, and a spring connection between the-.l andle andthe pressure-back to move the latter into and out of engagement with theframe, said pressure-back being engageable with the film for the purposespecified.

4; In a photographic printing machine, the combination with a suitableframe having an exposure opening formed therein, of a pressure backcomprising hingedly connected sections,,a resilient plate having a fixedconnection with one of said sections and a loose connection with theother of said sections, .said plate being inherently resilient tonormally maintain the section to which, it is fixedly connected at anangle to the other of the said sections, and means operable to move thesections and to hold said sections against relative movement.

5. In a photographic printing machine, a frame having an exposureopening formed therein, ,a carrier movable transversely of the frame,means mounted onthe carrier and movable across the opening to vary thesize thereof, means movable toward and from the carrier to vary the sizeof the opening, and a pressure back movable with the carrier into andout of engagement with the frame for the purpose specified.

6."In a photographic printing machine,

the combination with a suitable frame having an exposure opening formedtherein, of an adjustable carrier, a substantially L- shaped armhingedly-connected thereto, the said arm being movable across theopening to vary the sizethereof, 'ineans'normally maintaining said armin engagement with the frame to hold the film acted on against dis-'placement, means positioned at each side of the frame to engage the filmfor the purpose specified means adjustable toward and from the carrierto vary the size of the mentioned opening, and a pressure-back movableinto and out of engagement with the frame. 4

7. In a photographic printing machine, a suitable frame having anexposure opening formed therein,.a carrier slidable across-the frame,means. movable with the carrier to vary the size of the opening, saidlast men tioned means being substantially L-shaped,

one arm of the-L-sl1apedmeans being arranged in parallelism with one 015the opening sides, the other arm of the said L-shaped member beingmovable toward and from that side of the opening with which it is inparallelism,means movable toward and from the first mentioned arm tovary the size of the opening, said lastmentioned means extending inparallelism with the first mentioned arm, marginal strips affixed to thesaid L-shaped member, and a pres sure-back movable relatively'to themember into and out of a position closing said opening for the purposespecified.

8.1 In a photographic printing machine, a

carrier, a member movablewith the carrier; and adjustable across theframe to vary the a' pressure back Comprising connected sectlons, ares1hent plate havmg a fixed connection with one of said connection withthe other of said Ysections,

5 and means operable to 111' to hold saldsections against relative movement.

memms sections and a loose eye the sections and Witnesses:

Intestimohy vihereof I effix my signature in presence of two WltIlQSSQS;

THG'MAS H. mosw.

B. H, (Josey, 0mm ANED.

